This Christmas, we’re serving up holiday platters for the many moods and sonic flavors of the season. We get down to some very merry Chicano rockabilly from Los Straitjackets; gather around the fire with French fiddlers in snowy Maine; imbibe “Sugar Rum Cherry” concocted by Duke Ellington; dream of a white Christmas a laBooker T. & the MGs, and hear the tale of Miles Davis‘ “Blue X-mas” from jazz composer Bob Dorough. Plus, cool Yuletide exotica from Esquivel, joyous free jazz from Rahsaan Roland Kirk and ring shouting for a New Year from the Georgia Sea Island Singers.

JJ CALE AND CEDRIC WATSON

August 10th, 2011

J.J. Cale came up in the clubs of Tulsa, Oklahoma playing everything from Western Swing to Rock ‘n’ Roll. He even wrote songs that became hits for his friend Eric Clapton. But it was in the recording studio where he found his true calling. We’ll talk with J.J. about his career as a guitar man, songwriter and studio wizard. Then we visit with up and coming Creole fiddler and accordionist Cedric Watson and learn about his journey within the world of French and Caribbean music.